Reel



Aug. l2, 1952 P. L. PEN DLETON Allg- 12, 1952 P. L. PENDLETON 2,606,357

REEL

Filed May 29, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 171' 6 2a/awww;

ATTNE Patented Aug. 12, 1952 OFFICE I REEL Pyam L. Pendleton, Cranston, R.I., assigner to Hampton Machine Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 29, 194s, serial No. 30,070

Y This invention relates to strand processing and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved storage reel for textile bers in strand or thread form on which the strand may be initially loaded as a plurality of passes comprising parallel layers and the layers thereafter brought into substantially a single plan-e for purposes of fluid treatment, drying and the'like so that the yarn pattern resembles to some extent an elongated ligure eight.

In thread processing a continuous strand may be initially loaded in the form of a plurality of closely adjacent passes forming opposed parallel layers on a reel, the latter consisting of a pair of parallel spaced rollers mounted on a frame. Thereafter the reel is inserted in a uid processing tank or drying unit and therein revolved so as to feed strand continuously through the treating unit. It has been the practice either to subject only one of the strand layers to treatment or to provide duplicate treating units so as to subject both layers to separate treatment simultaneously.

It is an object f the present invention to provide a yarn storage reel adapted to be loaded with a plurality of passes of continuous strand forming layers in which the layers may be adjusted into substantially a single plane after being initially loaded on the reel whereby both layers may be treated simultaneously in the subsequent processing in a single treating unit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a reel for storing a continuous strand in layer form in a more convenient pattern whereby, it may be treated more eflciently and rapidly, making possible the use of simple `and compact accessory arrangements for iluid processing or drying. v

With the foregoing objects in mind the novel storage reel of the invention is featured by the provision of a pair of yarn supporting rollers mounted in spaced parallel relation on a supporting frame and auxiliary guide rolls insertable therebetween. whereby after initial loading the guide rolls may be moved against one of th-e layers of strand to adjust the major portion of the same toward the opposite strand layer to form a substantially coincidental single strand layer of planar form, the storage rollers being movable toward and away from each other to allow for the adjustment.

The invention, therefore, may be said to consist of the novel arrangement and combination of parts as more fully described in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like 3 Claims. (Cl. 28-7L5) numerals refer to like parts in the several views and in which: y

Fig. l is a front elevation of the novel reel of the invention mounted in awinding device for initial loading;

Fig. 2 is an end view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the loaded reel prior to adjusting the two layers of strand into a single plane;

Fig. 3 is an end view, similar to that of Fig. 2, showing the layers of strand adjusted into substantially coplanar relation;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the loaded reel in the adjusted position of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view illustrating' one applition of the novel reel of the invention as inserted in an electrical strand drying unit; and

Fig, 6 is a longitudinal section showing as another application the novel reel installed in a fluid treating tank.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 4, it will be seen that the reel I0 consists of a pair of spaced parallel cylindrical rollers I2 and I4 mounted at opposite ends of a supporting frame consisting of `parallel rails I6 and I 8. and transverse braces I9. The roller I2 is rotatably journaled in bearings 20 in the supporting rails while the roller I4 is similarly mounted on a supporting axle 2I held in longitudinal slots 22 at the opposite endsof the rails I6 and I8. As will hereinafter be more fully explained, for initial loading the roller I4 is positioned, by means of nuts 24, at the outer ends of the slots 22 and is thus in its most remote station from the roller I2. For subsequent actuation'of the rollers the roller I2 carries a gear wheel 26 adapted tov be driven by an external drive not shown.

The reel I8 is initially loaded with strand by use of a winding device 28, which, it will be seen from Fig. 1, consists oftwo uprights 38 and 32 rlxedly mounted on afoundation plate 34, the upright 38 being` provided with a retractable spindle 36 adapted to engage onev of the mounting holes 38 in the rail I6 of the reel frame and the other upright 32 carrying a key 40 having pins 42 and 43 for engaging therail I8 bymeans of openings 38 and 44 respectively. The windingdevice 28 also is equipped with a crank 46 and a traveling guide 48 actuated by archan drive 5U between sprockets 52 and 54.4 The traveler 48 is mounted on a worm 56 and carries an upright guide 58 to guide the thread' drawn from the supply cone 60 and tol insure uniform loading of the reel. I

It will be seen from Fig. l that the unloaded reel may be positioned in the winding device in the manner shown and that the end of a strand 62 may be threaded through the guide 58, which initially will be positioned at the extreme left of the worm 56, and then made fast to one of the rollers I2 or I4. The reel may then be quickly loaded with strand by operating the crank 46 which will cause the entire reel to revolve about an axis fixed by theppins 36 and 42 while the traveling guide 58 spaces the passes of strand evenly along the width of the rollers.

When the reel I has been initially loaded, as above described, it may then be removed from the winding device '28, and will be seen to support the strand 62 in the form of two parallel opposed layers as shown in Fig. 2. The hold nuts 24 may now be loosened to release the tension on the yarn and roller guides 64 pressed manually against one of the yarn layers to adjust the same into the substantially coplanar relation of Figs. 3 and 4, the guide rollers being held in adjusted position by any suitable latching means, such as spring dowels 6i entering the holes 66. The pressing of 'the rollers 64 against the yielding yarn layer will lift roller I4 and its pivot pin 2I in the slots 22 and cause the yarn pattern to assume the elongated figure eight configuration shown in Figs. 3' and a with both layers occupying substantially the same plane. Combs 68 may then be installed in the frame by means of spring dowels 69 fitting the mounting holes 44. The teeth I0 of the combs 68 will protrude through the layers of yarn in a manner to guide the closely adjacent rapidly moving passes of strand and keep the same from tangling.

The reel I0, thus loaded and adjusted, is ready for use after the nuts 24 have been tightened to hold the roller I4 rotatably on its axle 2I in adjusted position.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, two illustrations are given of the compact, efficient processing assembly possible with the strand loaded on the reel of the invention as shown in Figs. 3 and 4'. In Fig. 5, for example, the reel I6 is positioned vertically in a housing 12, both layers of strand thereon passing adjacent a single electrical heating unit 14, having a heat reflecting surface 'I6 adapted to cooperate with a similar reflector'18 removably positioned on the reel on the opposite side of the strand layers. The reflector 'I8 is attachable to the reel frame by means of mountings 19, after loading and setting of the strand 62.

Another simplified assembly, taking advantage of the novel reel structure of theinvention, is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein a reel I0 is positioned horizontally in a fluid treating tank 86 with the coplanar yarn strands 62 passing over a diffusing plate 82 supplied with processing'fluidfrom a supply pipe 84. The fluid emerging from the pipe 84 strikes a second diffusing plate 86 vattached to thereel frame with the resul't'th'at the region between plates 82 and 86 becomes inundated causing a favorable dispersal of treating fluid over the yarn by simple means encouraging an efficient washing or permeating operation. In this case the plate 86 is removably mounted on the reel I0 so that it may be readily detached during the winding and layer setting operations. As shown in Fig. 6, the treating fluid will be drained through drains 68 and 90 for recirculation as desired.

In a vertically mounted reel the substantial coplanar pattern of the yarn layers presents few advantages forwashing or fluid treating that cannot be had from the horizontal deflector plate as shown in Fig. 6, but, as clearly appears in Fig.

5, it offers peculiar advantages for purposes of drying. For example, a single electric heating unit may be used for subjecting both layers to heat treatment simultaneously and the close spacing of the rapidly and oppositely moving passes of strand creates an air turbulence favorable to drying while the vertical arrangement permits ready draining ofv fluid thrown off by centrifugal action of the rollers.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, yarn may be continuously fed and passed through the reel as shown by the dotted arrows 9'2 and 94. The reel will be driven, in both cases, by an external drive, not shown, engaging the pinion 26 on the roller I2, and motion will be imparted to the opposite roller I4 by means of the strand itself.

It will be appreciated that by the novel reel of the invention there has been provided a storage reel to facilitate the processing of continuous strands of textile fibers or the like, including in some cases synthetic filaments after extrusion and coagulation. The substantially coplanar positioning of the layers of strand offers peculiar advantages in permitting the most eicient and vrapid processing of the same with more compact and eiiicient assemblies than has heretofore been possible in strand treatment.

While there has been disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be appreciated that the same is subject to numerous changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A strand storage reel comprising a portable frame, said frame having fixed roller supporting bearings near one end and longitudinal slots near the other end, a pair of strand supporting rollers and shafts therefor, the shaft of one of said rollers being held in the said fixed bearings and the shaft of the other of said rollers vbeing held in said slots, said reel being adapted to be loaded initially with a plurality of adjacent turns of strand about said rollers forming two spaced layers, and transverse strand guiding members attachable to said frame between said rollers for pressing one of said layers into substantially coplanar relation with the other layer, the roller shaft which is held in said slots being adjustable therein towards the other roller to slacken said strand as said guiding members are positioned in said frame.

2. A strand storage reel comprising a portable frame, said frame comprising a pair of rails and transverse braces holding the same in spaced parallel relation, said rails having fixed bearings near one end and longitudinal slots near the other end, a pair of strand supporting rollers and shafts therefor, the shaft of one of said rollers being held in the said fixed bearings and the shaft of the other of said rollers being held in said slots, said reel being adapted to be loaded initially with a plurality of adjacent turns of strand about said rollers forming two spaced layers, and transverse strand guiding members attachable to said rails between said rollers for pressing one of said layers into substantially coplanar relation with the other layer, the roller shaft which is held in said slots being adjustable therein towards the other roller to slacken said strand as said guiding members are positioned in said rails.

3. A strand storage reel comprising a portable frame, said frame having roller supporting fixed bearings near one end and longitudinal slots near the other end, a pair of strand supporting accesar' 5 rollers and shafts therefor, the shaft of one of said rollers bing held in the said fixed bearings and thejshait of the other of said rollers being held insaid slots, said reel being adapted to be loaded initially with a plurality of adjacent turns of 'strand about said rollers forming two spaced layers, transverse strand 'guiding members attachable to said frame between said rollers for pressing one of said layers into substantially ooplanar relation with the other layer, the roller shaft which is held in said slots being adjustable'theren toward the other roller to slacken said strand as Vsaid guiding membersv are positioned in said frame, and combs attachable to said "frame near 'said guiding members' for engagingsaid turns of strand to vprevent tangling thereof;

PYAM L. PENDLETON.

REFERENCES CITED Thelfjfollowing references vare of record in the Number y Re. 2051,12

Number his patent: 

